Tyler Christopher's cause of death has been confirmed after the General Hospital star died at the age of 50 on October 31, 2023, in his San Diego apartment.
The late actor was best known for playing Nikolas Cassadine on 1,153 episodes of the long-running daytime soap opera from 1996 to 2016.
News of his death was first announced by his co-star Maurice Benard, who played Sonny Corinthos in the medical drama, who told fans: "Tyler was a truly talented individual that lit up the screen in every scene he performed and relished bringing joy to his loyal fans through his acting. Tyler was a sweet soul and wonderful friend to all of those who knew him."
The 60-year-old added that Christopher "was an advocate for better mental health and substance use treatment who openly spoke about his struggles with bipolar depression and alcohol," telling his followers: "We are beyond devastated by the loss of our dear friend and pray for his children and his father."
It has now been confirmed that Christopher died from positional asphyxia due to acute intoxication, according to a report from the Medical Examiner's Office obtained by TMZ.
The medical examiner ruled that Christopher's death was accidental and that he suffocated to death due to the position he was in while intoxicated, with coronary artery atherosclerosis, a condition where plaque builds up in the arteries, also listed as a contributing factor to his death.
The medical examiner stated that Christopher suffocated to death due to the position he was in while he was intoxicated. His death was ruled accidental.
Christopher's struggles with alcohol use had been documented in the years before his death, and he underwent an emergency craniotomy in November 2019 after falling in his bathroom while withdrawing from alcohol, which caused him to hit the back of his head on the bathtub, which resulted in a fractured skull and bleeding on his brain.
His sister then filed a petition to put him under guardianship in 2020, which the actor claimed resulted in him "being taken advantage of", according to Bloomberg. It was lifted a year later in 2021.
Many of Christopher's friends shared their heartbreak at the time of his death, with General Hospital co-star Steve Burton writing on Instagram: "This hits hard. Really hard. Sometimes I use the word 'brother' loosely. But when I called Tyler my brother, I meant it . . . there’s a group of us . . . that have done and still would do anything for each other.
"We lost one. A beautiful and talented soul at that. It hurts. Thank you for the memories brother Ty. Love you. See you in Heaven."
General Hospital Executive Producer Frank Valentini added in a statement to People: "I am heartbroken over the news of Tyler Christopher’s passing. He was kind, an incredible actor, and dear friend, who was beloved by our GH family and fans of Nikolas Cassadine.
"On behalf of everyone at General Hospital, our heartfelt sympathies go out to his loved ones during this difficult time."
Christopher earned four daytime Emmy nominations for his work on the medical TV series and in 2016, he won the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
He also starred as Stefan DiMera on 159 episodes of Days of Our Lives, from 2018 to 2019, for which he also earned a Daytime Emmy nomination.
He also had several other TV credits including the ABC Family drama series The Lying Game and guest appearances on The Twilight Zone, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Family Law, Charmed, Angel, and The Pretender, as well as in TV disaster movies including Ice Storm, 20.0 Megaquake, and Super Volcano.
His film credits also include Shouting Secrets, Out of the Black, Max Winslow and the House of Secrets, Murder, Anyone?, and Beyond the Lights.
Christopher was previously married to Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria from 2002 until 2004, and went on to marry former ESPN reporter Brienne Pedigo in 2008, with the couple having two children before reportedly divorcing in 2021.
He is survived by his two children, son Greysun, 14, and daughter Boheme, eight.
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